Madison times. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1884-1???, 1887-01-15
TERRIBLE WRECK.
Trains On the b. q o. CoIHde-AwfuI Dis
aster and Death,

On Tuesday last, in which many lives We're
lost and the injured were numerous. The
cars telescoped, and then began burning,
and beingdry they went like a finder. In
less than i've minutes from the moment of
The collision, and before any organized ef-
fort at rescue could be made, the fire OF the
overturned stoves communicated to the
woodwork and the flames leHped high in
the air, their roar mingling with the cries OF
anguish oil the imprisoned victims, to whom
death nits most terrible form was horrid
presence. The trainmen and uniniured
passengers were powerless and could only
look upon the pyre and hope for speedy
termination OF the suiferings Of the victims.
The passenger train was in charge of Con
ductor Tom Easkett. Engineer Lem East
man and Fireman VIM. Frederick, and con-
sisted of engine No. 726, a mail and bag.
gage car, express, smoker coach and two
sleepers. The freight train was in charge OF
Conductor Fletcher, Engineer Killer and
Fireman W. j. Cumison, and consisted of
engine No. 925 and sixteen and one-hali
loaded and few empty gondolas.
The smoker contained from twelve to
fifteen passengers, some OF whom were i'm.
migrants, and but two men escaped alive,
and one OF them, an Irish immigrant, was
SO terribly bruised and burned that he can
not recover. The name of the man " no es.
gagemaster w. F. Gates, OF Newark, WAS
the only man in his car, and he was hurt
in both legs, the lett leg being cut in several
places and splinter or rod run into his
right foot.
G. p. Bradley, Of Washington, d. c., was
found hanging from the window of the
smoker, but his legs were fast and he could
not be removed, and there he RENAME un
til he was burned to death and his charred
remains fell to the ground black and
shapeless mass. He was conscious and
gave his address to bystanders, and also
said that he was an officer OF the Knights
OF Labor organization. He gave his watch
and other things he could get from his
pockets to Engineer Fletcher, OF the freight
train.
Joseph Postlethwait, aged 81, and two
sons, Spencer, aged Is, and Henry, /, were
sitting in the same seat in the smoker, and
their charred remains were found in the
ruins OF the car. Mr.. Postlethwait, his wife,
their two boys and 7-year-od girl by
former wife and little boy OF 3 years
and a baby girl of 2 years, had
sold their farm OF 160 acres in Wet
eel County, West Virginia and were moving
to Chillicothe, Mo-, near where Postethwait
had brother living, and where he intended
to make his future home. He had about
5000 in cash, check for 5000 and several
notes in his pocket, and these were burned
with his body, leaving the poor widow, with
| three children, no clothing except what she
wore and only fifty cents in money. Her
husband and the two boys had left her but
a few moment before and gone from the
| coach to the smoker. Postlethwait, as a
hali-melted medal found in the wreck ind.
| Gated. was a soldier in the Union ranks in
| the late war, being soldier OF CompauyA
18th Regiment West Virginia Volunteer In
| fantry, and drew a pension OF Sc per month
| for an injury to his eyes during the service.
| The reporter found Mrs. Postlethwait
| and the little children at the home OF C. w.
| Grosscup. She is "a years OF age. and ap-
pears like fine woman. Her case is in
| deed pitiabe one.
VIM. Fredericks, fireman on the express,
| was caught between the tender and the en-
| gine, and lived for two hours, but it was
found impossible to effect his release. His
| mother is a widow and lives i'm Washington
| ID. c. He is member of the Brotherhood
| OF Firemen, which organization took charge
| OF his reamins, which were removed to
a Chicago undertaking establishment
prepared for burial. The face in death de-
! picted the agony Of his sufferings before
| death came to his relief.
M. II. Parks. whose address your CORE.
| spondent was unable to learn, was also
/
after handing his money, letters and cards
| to one of the railroad employees. His body
was also consumed, as was also those OF
| several Others whose names are not known
| and perhaps never will be.
| A number Of VT tches were found in one
| wreck. and one of them is described as fol-
| lows: "Open face marked l. w. Il Co. on
barral bridge, three-ounce case, seven
| jewel. mounted, Springfield movement case
| No. 932 2,099."
Pierce. the express messenger was burned
to crisp. His home is at Wheeling, where
| bride of few months awaits husband
| who will never return.
| A circumstance which leads to the belief
| that still Others perished was related by
| George Westerhouse, Of Pembervile. Wood
| County. He had been to visit relatives
north Of Republic, and was on his way to
the village to take the morning train for
home. When near the town he met man.
| apparently insane, who told him OF the
mishap. and exclaimed:
| "My wife and two children burned up in
| the wreck"
| Eleven bodies have been recovered from
the wreck and several others are known
to have been entirely consumed. The lose
OF life will probably reach twenty persons
John Towhill, a passenger at Chicago
Junction, was in the smoker on the Balti
! more and Ohio train, about three seats
from the stove. He felt the shocks as tn,
engines came together as il he had beer
struck in the back, and saw two persons
shot upward nearly to the top OF the coach
Then began horrible crunching and the
baggage car came into the smoker through
the end. He was caught between the seats
and within a minute fire was raging al
around him. He made a fearful effort and
got out through window. He says he saw
two men crushed, and heard their shrek,
as the flames began to pour out from the
dry material. Towhills hair and whisker
are all burned off and his shoulder dis
located. The skin has all slipped from his
face and scalp. John Gates. the baggage
man, was seated just in front OF Towhill
He says at the first shock he was thrown
upward by the bending OF the floor OF tn
car. and saw the wheels come through tn
floor. The next moment he was carrie'
back over top OF the seats along with tn,
debris. and passed over the men who wer
being ground to pulp by the portion o
the baggage car which was sliding into anc
above the floor Of the smoker. Gates il
terribly cut about the ankles. He got out
Of a window. He was sent to his home a
Newark.